English

Steps
for learning and using Esperanto

Updated January 18, 2006

This page was first published
on October 26, 2002 and
it is frequently updated.

Your comments, corrections and
suggestions will be welcomed.

In the beginning be sure to dedicate more time to complete a
basic course than to any other activity concerning Esperanto.
Don't try to find answers to all your questions. You will find
most of those answers in one of the next lessons.

Choose some of the following options, but it will be better
if you start at option number 1.

14. Other pages by Enrique15. Other pages about Esperanto16. Other pages en Esperanto17. Courses in other languages

English

1. The best way to learn Esperanto

In the beginning be sure to dedicate more time to complete
a basic course than to any other activity concerning Esperanto.
Don't try to find answers to all your questions. You will find
most of those answers in one of the next lessons.

Do NOT translate beyond what the lessons ask. Don't ask
how to say something in Esperanto, specially those sentences
whose meanings are not related to the meaning of their
individual words (idioms). First learn how Esperanto works,
and you will also learn to think in Esperanto.

After finishing the basic course, try "La Gerda Kurso".
At the end of each of the 25 chapters be sure to answer all the
questions, do the exercises, and read the vocabulary for that
chapter. This vocabulary is not simple Esperanto-English, but
includes much information related to common word-formation.

Try to reach speaking and reading fluency. After that, study
the grammar details in Esperanto. If you wanted to improve
your knowledge of English ... in which language would
you study?

We recommend Carlos Pereira's course. It is interactive
and has sound (pronunciation).
Details to obtain this course in section: 2. Basic courses (in English)

The Nesto project offers tutors for the basic course by
Carlos Pereira and for "La Gerda Kurso". It is the intention
of Nesto to ask for a small amount to help with expenses.
The tutors are voluntaries, do not receive anything from
your payment. It is possible to get the course for free.

It is better to study 15 minutes every day than to study the
whole day and then forget it for more than a week.
Otherwise you will need more time to review what you
had already studied, instead of going ahead.

Don't loose your time on details. Don't try to know
everything perfect. Finish the courses. Later you will be
able to improve, reading in Esperanto. Esperanto is
much more interesting when you can use it.

It is very important to listen to Esperanto. Thus, the ear
gets used to the sound of Esperanto and the brain gets
used to the structure of Esperanto.

To listen to Esperanto, use the link:5. Listen to Esperanto cassettes, radio

And now... begin to study!

English

2. Basic courses to learn Esperanto

Textbook: try your local library, university library,
or order from an Esperanto book-service. See section:13. Useful addresses

There are many resources online:

Kurso de Esperanto; by Carlos Pereira is interactive and has sound.
It was originally written in Brazilian-Portuguese, later
translated to a total of 27 languages.
(download about 13 MB)

The biggest international effort to create a method to
teach Esperanto in as many languages as possible. It has
courses, exercises, readings, in several levels from beginner
to intermediate. It also has some music in Esperanto and
some games.

English

3. Advanced courses and books

Most basic courses provide a vocabulary of about 700 words
(roots) After learning well the first course, you may continue
to study in Esperanto. The only English texts should be
vocabularies or dictionaries Esperanto-English.

"La Gerda Kurso" is based on the book "Gerda Malaperis"
written by Claude Piron. There are 25 chapters.
At the end of each of the 25 chapters be sure to answer all the
questions, do the exercises, and read the vocabulary for that
chapter. This vocabulary is not simple Esperanto-English, but
includes much information related to common word-formation.

"Amuzaj Dialogoj en Esperanto", by Albert LIENHARDT
Collection of short dialogues to help new Esperantists learn to speak
the International Language. With 850 questions and answers. Illustrations
by Arfoll. Second edition 1980. 140p. 202x120. Paper. Hungary.
ISBN 9635710712 $ 7.50

Paper mail: Be sure to include your whole
address in the format that would appear on the envelope.
Do not forget to include the name of your country.
I have seen many European addresses missing the name
of the country. Of course, I had to find the name of the
country first, to know that it was from Europe...

8. Newsgroups, Groups, lists

E-groups.com started to form groups. Now
thousands of groups belong to yahoo.com
There are more than 230 Esperanto groups.
(Retaj dissendolistoj) Any member of most groups
has the right to post to that group.
All the members can read the postings.

Many countries have national conventions every year,
trying to meet each year at different places. Local
associations also meet weekly or monthly. Some times
they meet just to welcome traveling Esperantists from
other countries. I have been at the national Convention
for USA and Canada, in Montreal in July 1998. I also was
at the Argentinean Convention in October 1998 in
Presidencia Roque Saenz Peña, Chaco Province,
and later, in October 1999 in San Carlos de Bariloche,
Río Negro Province. I also participated in the
World Convention in Vienna, Austria, in July 1992 and the
World Convention in Beijing, China, in July 2004.

The next International Youth Congress will be in
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, August 6th - 13th, 2006.

Seminars

TEJO have seminars about many diverse topics, such as Language
Festivals, Human Rights and the Internet. They happen several
times every year and are an excellent way to meet with other TEJO
members and the organization.

Interesting fairs for language freaks and those interested in other
cultures, regardless of age, profession or the ability to speak
Esperanto. Because of that, sometimes people talk about the
Language Festival movement, already as traditions and highly
awaited in many cities dispersed throughout the world.

English

12. "Passport Service"

Pasporta Servo (Passport Service) is a hospitality network, currently consisting of some 1350 hosts in more than 85 countries around the globe. To join the network as a guest, you only have to buy the address list, which is updated each year. Then you can use the service. Hosts won't charge you anything, many will even offer you breakfast or a perfect dinner.

Pasporta Servo makes it easier to travel
internationally and to find cross-cultural contacts by allowing
members to stay in the homes with other Esperanto speakers.

"Amuzaj Dialogoj en Esperanto", by Albert LIENHARDT
Collection of short dialogues to help new Esperantists learn to speak
the International Language. With 850 questions and answers. Illustrations
by Arfoll. Second edition 1980. 140p. 202x120. Paper. Hungary.
ISBN 9635710712 $ 7.50

TEJO have seminars about many diverse topics, such as
Language Festivals, Human Rights and the Internet. They
happen several times every year and are an excellent way
to meet with other TEJO members and the organization.

Interesting fairs for language freaks and those interested in
other cultures, regardless of age, profession or the ability
to speak Esperanto. Because of that, sometimes people
talk about the Language Festival movement, already as
traditions and highly awaited in many cities dispersed
throughout the world.